Drabbles of Interest
by adorestories
Summary: A collection a one shots written as inspiration strikes me, or as people send in prompts. Receiving ALL prompts, regardless of anything (except no smutty M scenes)
1. Prompt 19) One Night Stand

**Person of Interest one shots, woohoo! I'll take any and all prompts, so send 'em in! Tragedy, AU, humor, torture, fluff, whatever!**

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"If you hadn't been so... enthusiastic... last night, we wouldn't be in this mess," Finch snapped as they walked. Mr. Reese had been at Detective Carter's house last night, under the pretense of a family dinner. Normally, he never would've gone, but John was worried that HR might have planted something in her apartment. Conveniently enough, Taylor went to a friend's house at the last minute, and Finch had never had any intention of showing up to begin with. Needless to say, dinner had been very awkward for the two.

"I couldn't help it, Finch!" Reese growled. "I was kind of distracted, and it's not like this was normal. I'll try not to do it again, but no promises. Besides, Carter didn't seem to mind too much."

Finch snorted. Detective Carter was the reason they were here in the first place. She had somehow managed to get Finch to purchase her what she wanted, using the reasoning that it was his employee who put them in this situation to begin with. Finch was only here to make sure that Reese got a suitable brand that would hold up under his abuse.

"Of course not, Mr. Reese. She just sent us out to do her shopping. I hope you realize that I'm not going to help you carry it. This is completely your mess." Finch pointed to a store a few buildings down as he limped purposefully. "You'll find what you need there. Finest quality, guaranteed not to break. Unless, of course, there's a repeat of last night. So please, for the sake of my sanity, be more conscious of your surroundings!"

"Whatever you say, Finch," Reese said with a smirk. He undoubtably found the entire ordeal quiet funny, especially the proper billionaire genius's reaction. Finch waited outside the store as Reese entered it confidently.

Several minutes later, Reese strolled back out, carrying a large box. He casually walked over to Finch, who ignored the recent purchase. "I trust there were no problems?" He asked stiffly.

"Nope," Reese said cheerfully. "One night stand, as requested. You know, it's not my fault there was a bug on the old one, and Carter should've expected me to search her house when she left to get Taylor."

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**Did I getcha? No? Oh well... please review anyway!**


	2. 911

**Hey guys. I just thought this was extremely fitting, it being today, and considering what major event this show is centered around. I hope I didn't make it too cheesy!**

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Finch stared at the date in the corner of his monitor. Such a small thing, but it had caused so many not-so-small problems. Death, destruction, panic, heartbreak. It seemed to him as if the whole world was reliving that day. None would bring it up in conversation outside of their 'moment of silence' for the ones lost; none needed to. Everyone walked slower, spoke softer, laughed less on this day. It was a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives.

For most of the citizens of New York, it was also a day of mourning. Thousands of people flooded cemeteries and monuments to pay their respects, but again, no one remembered out loud. Each was absorbed in their own thoughts, wishing for a way to change the past, because time did not heal all wounds.

All of this was true for Finch as well, probably more so. That day had been a rude awakening for him, a slap on the face to remind him of what was important. He had money, he had intelligence, he had a close friend, but what did any of that matter when people were dying?

Finch hadn't even known about the attack until that night, being hard at work making money. Maybe he could have foreseen it, built the Machine before tragedy struck, but he was too self-centered. Thousands had payed the price for his selfishness.

Ironically, Finch was the 'dead' relative mourning on this day for the one he left behind. Death was a relief, a release from the pain of the world, but dying was not a luxury he could afford. He was atoning for his mistakes, just as he surely would be in whatever afterlife he ended up in. He only hoped that he made a difference before his death caught up with him. 'Sooner or later, we'll probably end up dead,' he thought grimly.

But this day was not only the anniversary of a tragic disaster. It was also the beginning of something great, and hopefully, something good. The day the Machine was invented, even if it hadn't been built yet. The day Harold Wren set out on a path that would lead to the best and worst moments of his life.

Today was the anniversary of the Machine. The day it was born. Finch gently wiped a tear from his eye as he thought about everything that had been lost because of that one day twelve years ago. "Happy Birthday," he said wryly as he stood up. He knew the Machine would hear him. It always did.

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_**~In honor of those who lost their lives, and all the ones who were left behind to pick up the pieces.~**_


	3. 911 part two

**Hey guys! I was asked to doing something like the last chapter, but from Reese's pov. I'm not very good with sequels, they don't work for me, but I hope you guys enjoy! And review if the urge strikes you!**

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Reese sat in the park outside his apartment. Normally, he'd be playing chess in his spare time, but not today. Today, he wanted to be alone. Twelve years ago his life had changed radically, and not for the better. That one event had led to him joining the CIA, and eventually to Jessica's death. Of course, now Reese knew who was technically to blame, but he could never fault Harold for that; Reese had had his chance to save Jessica, in that airport all those years ago.

Reese always mourned for Jessica on this day; this was the day he had lost her, the day he had decided to return to duty.

Reese watched as people passed on the street. Almost no one was enjoying the park today. Hardly anyone was in a mood to enjoy anything. Most had graves to visit, and no time or inclination to walk in the park and think. So why did he sit? Surely there was any number of things he could be doing that would distract him from these memories. But maybe he deserved to be miserable, deserved to feel guilty. After all, he could've saved Jessica, but instead, he let Snow pull him back into another mission.

Suddenly, Reese remembered someone who must be feeling as badly as he was, maybe even worse. Harold felt responsible for Jessica's death, and for everything that followed. Where was the secretive genius? Reese hoped he wasn't sitting alone, remembering all that he had lost and knowing he couldn't change anything. It must be torture for him, to be so close to the one he loved and not be able to go to her.

Reese shook his head. Finch probably would not appreciate him intruding on his privacy on such an emotional day. Reese stood up and began to walk aimlessly, hoping to get rid of some of his restless energy. He had no destination in mind, but he moved purposefully.

It took him nearly fifteen minutes to figure out where his feet were taking him, and by that time, Reese was within sight of the building. He was mildly surprised, but then realized that he shouldn't be. When you find that one person who connects you to the world, you become someone different, and you can't let anything hurt them. You fight for them, protect them from the monsters in their mind. And that was exactly what Reese planned to do as he entered the Library.

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**Hey! How'd you like it? I'll give you a virtual David Tennant if you review!**


	4. Back Door

**I'm baaack! So i watched the episode where Nathan sneaks a back door into the Machine, and all of a sudden I thought of this and I was like aw yeah! So yup. Here you go. Also, Linda, I don't know if I can give you a virtual Michael Emerson... I think I need to keep them all for myself! ;)**

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Back doors were tricky things. On the one hand, they allowed the Admin to alter the system, fixing bugs and updating software. On the other hand, if that back door was not carefully guarded, someone could find out about it and use it to completely ruin the system, to take it over and make it do as they wished. Finch had always been of the opinion that back doors just weren't worth the risk. The only reason the Machine's back door existed was because of Nathan, who had installed one against Finch's expressed wishes.

Of course, he now saw the value of Nathan's actions, why it was necessary to take such a risk. Back doors allowed for contact with the system, allowed information to be passed on. Information that, in turn, allowed Finch and John to save lives. Finch imagined that he wouldn't be alive today without the purpose the Machine gave him; for what else would he do after his 'death'?

So yes, some back doors were worth the danger that inevitably came with them. But then, others weren't. Like he had told Nathan years ago, a back door was a crack that would become a flood the moment someone noticed it. It would be an open pathway, free of obstacles, for anyone who wanted control of the system. A back door was the ultimate weakness.

That was why he had to leave Grace. She connected him to the world; she gave him all the information he had ever needed. If Finch's enemies found out about her, they could use her to get complete Admin access to the system that was Harold Finch. Finch loved Grace; she was his back door. And it was precisely for that reason why he had to stay away. Some back doors just weren't worth the risk.

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**Please review and send in prompts! I only have one or two left to write with at the moment!**


	5. The Emmys

**So this was another prompt! Yay! I thought this was super cute so I actually wrote it the same day, but I haven't had time to post it... sorry! Also, all you Grinch lovers should check out my actual Person of Interest story! I'd love some extra feedback on it. And Linda... I GUESS you could have ONE Michael Emerson... but only because you're this story's best fan!**

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Finch sighed as he limped to Detective Fusco's car. Of course the man had forgotten his phone on his rare day off, leaving Finch no way to contact him. He could have hacked the Detective's laptop, but he most certainly would not have appreciated it; and besides, let the man retain some false sense of privacy.

Finch opened the car door and awkwardly slipped in, absently cursing his leg for the millionth time for its lack of mobility. Detective Fusco looked up from his computer in surprise, pausing it as he instinctively reached for his gun that wasn't there today. "Hello, Detective," Finch said, unfazed.

"Jeez! You scared the crap outa me, Glasses! How'd you even find me?"

He nodded at the laptop. "I thought you would have realized by now, Detective, that if you have technology, I can track your location." Fusco snorted. "Sure, sure. What's so important you had to interrupt my show? I drove out here to get _away_ from you and Wonderboy."

Finch opened his mouth but froze when he happened to look at the screen. "What... what is that?" He stuttered. Fusco glanced at the laptop. "It's the Emmys. Ya know, where actors win stuff for doing a good job? Ever heard of it?"

Finch swallowed. "Of course, Detective. But who is _that_?"

Detective Fusco took a closer look. "Oh, that's Carrie Preston. She won as a guest actor on "The Good Wife". I don't really watch shows like that, but I heard she's pretty good. Why, you interested?" He ended with a chuckle. Finch glared at him, and hoped it didn't look as feeble as it felt.

"Don't be absurd, Detective. She merely reminds me of... someone I used to know." He opened the car door again. "Goodbye, Detective, and good luck with your 'Emmy Awards'."

Fusco grabbed his arm. "Wait! You went through all that trouble to find me, and now you're just gonna leave? I thought ya needed something."

Finch stared at the Detective's hand until he let go. "It is of no consequence. I'm sure you want to enjoy your time off. Mr. Reese can handle everything."

Finch walked away as quickly as he could before the Detective had a chance to ask any more questions. How could he explain that the actress Carrie Preston was nearly a mirror image of his Grace without revealing her existence? He couldn't. So the only option was to brush it off and retreat; hopefully John didn't need help for this number.

As he made his way to his own car, Finch resolved to check on this Miss Preston when he returned to the Library. It was highly unlikely, but this might be some elaborate ploy to lure him out. How a look-alike of his fiancé could possibly flush him out of hiding was a mystery to him, but Finch hadn't survived this long by ignoring outlandish theories. Or maybe Miss Preston was just lucky enough to be blessed with charming good looks. Either way, Finch was certain of one thing. Miss Preston was nowhere near as beautiful as his Grace.

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**Yup so apparently Grace has got a secret twin! Finch isn't very smitten with her though ;) He's loyal to his Grace (mostly because I will never allow him to stop loving her...)**


	6. Dog Days

**Sooooo sorry this is so late! I had school and vacation and more school and AAAAGGGHHHH! But I'm back now, and hopefully I won't be quiet for so long again.**

**Anyways, a guest asked for Reese/Bear solving a case, and I think this actually turned out pretty okay! So you should really review and crap. Thanks ^.^**

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Reese glanced around the park as he threw a stick for Bear. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and the new number was only several yards away, playing tug-o-war with her golden retriever. Reese was glad she visited the dog park so often; it allowed him to get close to the short, brunette college student.

Finch had sent him here this morning after listing off any important facts about Miss Amelia Williams, and he had been playing fetch with Bear for almost half an hour.

Bear jogged back to Reese, stick held triumphantly in his mouth. Just as Reese reached out to grab it, the dog dodged away and made a break for it. He smiled at the dog's antics, but his mirth didn't last long as Bear nearly ran over the number.

"Bear, omlaag! I'm so sorry, Miss! He's not usually like this," Reese apologized quickly as Bear obediently lied down.

"Oh, it's alright," Amelia said with a laugh as she got up from where she had been sprawled on the ground. "Jonesy does that all the time, so I'm used to it," she finished as she brushed herself off.

"Still, can I buy you a coffee or something to apologize?" Reese hadn't planned on approaching her today unless she was in danger, but now he had an in. Better to be close before anything went wrong.

Amelia thought for a brief moment. "Sure, why not? It's not like Jonesy and I have anything better to do! Oh, by the way, I'm Amy."  
Reese smiled winsomely and offered her his arm. Amy covered her mouth to muffle her laugh as she threaded her hand around his arm. "Well aren't you the gentleman! Come on, Jonesy!"

As the retriever bounded over to them, Reese whistled for Bear to follow as well. Together, they walked down the street until they came to a small coffee shop. After ordering, they sat down at an outdoor table.

Reese fed the dogs some treats he had in his pockets as he sipped his coffee. After several minutes of meaningless small talk, Amy excused herself. "It was wonderful meeting you, John, but I got to go. I have a test to study for." Amy huffed as she stood, clearly miffed at her college work. "Veterinarian school has no mercy."

Reese grinned and stood as well. "Nice to meet you, too. Maybe I'll see you at the park again." He watched Amy as she walked away with Jonesy, scanning the crowd for anyone suspicious. "Well, what do you think, Bear? Victim or perpetrator?"

Bear barked once, and Reese nodded. "Yeah, I think she's innocent, too. But maybe you just like to play with Jonesy." Reese stared at the dog, who, to his amusement, whined. "Miss him already? Well I guess we'll just have to visit again."

Reese tapped his earpiece. "Finch, there were some men watching Amy when I found her, but they bolted when we started talking. I took a picture, but it's pretty blurry."

The reply was almost instantaneous. "Yes, I just received it, thank you. Will you be returning to the Library now?"

Reese looked at Bear. "No, I think Bear and I are gonna just hang out for a while," he said casually before he ended the call. He knew Finch could still hear him if he wanted to, but he trusted the genius to respect his privacy.

"So, you ready for a real run in the park?" He asked cheerfully. Bear barked happily and wagged his tail, and Reese led him back to the park.

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Reese stood in the par, exactly the same as he had yesterday, but with one exception; Amy was nowhere to be found. She had posted online that Jonesy had too much energy to let her work in piece, so she was taking him for a walk. Reese had immediately taken Bear and come here, this time bringing a tennis ball for the dogs. Unfortunately, it had been almost half an hour and Amy hadn't shown up.

"Finch, I'm getting worried. I'm going to her apartment."

"I agree John. I think I've identified the man from the photo you sent me. Mac Stewart, formerly a small time drug smuggler, arrested several times, but the charges never stuck. He's now working part time at an animal clinic. But why would he be interested in Miss. Williams?"

"I don't know, but I need to get to her first," Reese replied as he jogged to his car. In only a few minutes, he was racing up the steps to her apartment and knocking on the door.

Reese waited impatiently for Amy to open the door, but nothing happened. He knocked again, harder, but to no avail. He pounded one last time, hard enough to hear the door begin to splinter, before he pulled out his gun and got ready to break down the door.

Before he could move, though, the door suddenly opened inward to reveal a pissed-looking Amy with wet hair and wearing a robe. "What is going- John? What are you- how did you find me?!" She exclaimed. Reese stepped into her living room and shut the door behind him, ignoring her indignant protests.

"What the heck? Get out! I-" she stopped as she finally noticed the gun in his hand. "Are you... are you going to kill me?" She asked quietly. She seemed calm, but there was an unmistakable tremor in her voice.

"No, but someone else might try to," Reese said, trying to calm her down. "Have you done anything illegal lately, or gotten on the wrong side of the wrong person?"

"What? Of course not! Why are you asking me that?" Reese watched her as she spoke, looking for any giveaway to tell if she was lying. She wasn't.  
"I got an anonymous tip that you were in danger, so I went undercover yesterday. Have you done anything out of the ordinary lately?"

Amy shook her head. "No, I've barely even left my apartment in the last two weeks. I have a huge test, and I've only left to go to the stores a few times, and take Jonesy to the park. Oh, and we went to the vet a few days ago for his checkup."

Reese shook his head. There must be a reason a drug smuggler was going after a stay at home college student, but what was it?  
Bear suddenly sniffed the air and barked joyfully. Jonesy dashed out of a side room and went straight to Bear. The two greeted each other, then padded back to the room Jonesy had vacated only a minute before.

Amy cracked a small smile at the dogs' antics, but Reese stuck his head out into the hallway when he heard a door slam. Several large men were making their way up the stairs, and Reese had no delusions about who they were here for. "Amy, is there a back way out?" He growled when she shook her head. "I guess we're doing this the messy way."

Bear reappeared from the other room and Reese clicked the safety off his weapon. The military dog was carrying a stuffed toy, which he offered to Reese.

"Not now, Bear! Play time is over!" What was the dog doing? The enemy was literally at their doorstep, and Bear wanted to play fetch?

Wait. Reese suddenly connected the dots as the hired muscle burst into the room. He shot the first two in the knees, then punched the third in the face when he got too close. The fourth goon was a bit more trouble, but Reese took him down after trading a few punches.

"Amy, you can come out now."

The young brunette popped up from behind the couch in the corner of the room. "Well, I guess you were right! But why were they after me? I didn't even do anything."

Reese whistled and took the toy from Bear when he trotted closer. "This looks pretty new. I'm guessing you got it this week."

"Yeah, I got it for Jonesy after his checkup," Amy shrugged. "He was such a good boy."

Reese nodded and violently ripped open the toy, letting the contents spill out. Amy began to speak, irritation written all over her face, when she saw what fell out. Several packages of drugs dropped to the floor and Reese stared disapprovingly. "There's a former drug dealer working at your vet. Guess he's still working. He probably almost got caught stuffing the toys, and they somehow got put out on the shelf. Normally, one toy wouldn't be worth all this effort, but Stewart's trying to rebuild his business. Every penny counts."

Amy looked shocked, but nodded. "That makes sense... I guess... John, look out-!"

Reese whipped around to see the man he had punch in the face standing in front of him. He was about to bring his face down on Reese's head when a brown blur streaked across his vision. Bear latched onto the man's raised arm and growled viciously as he screamed. The dog's weight dragged him to the floor before Reese commanded Bear to let go. "Good boy," he murmured. He tied the four hired thugs up with some duct tape, courtesy of Amy, and told her to call the police. "Oh, and don't worry about Stewart. Some incriminating evidence has been accidentally sent to the NYPD, so he won't be bothering you again."

"Wait, you're not a cop?" She asked in disbelief. "Then who are you?"

Reese looked over his shoulder and grinned as he walked out, Bear following close behind. "Just a concerned third party. And a dog."

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**Heeey so I was really lazy and didn't really proofread this or anything so if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes please let me know o.0**


	7. Competition

**Hey guys! Sorry for the sporadic updates, I'm completely swamped lately with life, not to mention I'm nearly a month behind in one of my classes -.-' so sorry if updates aren't forthcoming very often!**

**ALSO ATTENTION PLEASE this chapter is pretty AU, Root is magically rehabilitated and everyone's all buddies with her, just so you don't freak out when she shows up.**

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Finch sat at the back table in a small, nondescript restaurant and sipped his tea. It was fairly good, but it was nothing compared to his usual sencha green. Detective Carter had texted him this morning and asked to meet with him, but refused to say why. He could only assume she had information too sensitive to be relayed over the phone.

There hadn't been a new number lately, so Finch found he had the time to arrive early to the restaurant and enjoy this unexpected downtime. Plus, he always prefered to arrive first to meetings. He often found it gave him the upper hand in the proceedings.

As he brought his cup to his mouth, Finch saw Detective Carter walking briskly down the sidewalk, and strangely enough, she was wearing a dress. It was casual, but Finch had never known her to wear anything but pants unless the situation demanded a change. She glanced around before entering the building, and Finch smirked slightly; she was being careful.

"Hey," she said breathlessly as she sat down. "How's it going?"

"I'm fine, Detective, and you?"

"Better now. And you can call me Joss," she replied with a smile. Finch was confused by her response, but chose to ignore it. He wasn't very good with people in general, let alone women. Who knew what went on in their minds?

"I'm glad to hear it... Joss. You mentioned you needed to see me earlier. Is there a problem?"

Joss leaned her head on her fist and smiled softly. "Well, not a problem, exactly. I just wanted to talk. You're always so busy, and John mentioned you had had a lot of free time lately. I thought it would be a great chance for us to get to know each other better."

Finch froze with his tea halfway off the table. What was going on? What was Carter playing at? She had certainly never done anything like this before. "Ah, well," Finch cleared his throat. "If you aren't in any trouble, I believe I must be going. I just remembered I'm late for a meeting with Mr. Reese, and he gets so disappointed when things don't go according to plan." When confused, feign tardiness, that was always Finch's plan.

"Are you sure you can't stay, just for a while? Please, Harold?"

Finch all but jumped up from the table as Carter nudged his leg with her foot. "No, I really must be on my way. It was a pleasure, as always, Detective." He walked stiffly from the restaurant, everything else forgotten in his hurry to get away.

Finch called himself a cab and had the driver drop him off exactly two blocks from the Library. From there, it was a short walk to his 'secret lair', as Fusco liked to call it. Finch unlocked the gate and entered his improvised workspace as Bear ran to greet him.

"Hello, Bear. Are you hungry?" Finch asked as Bear circled him playfully. He filled the dog's bowl, but Bear only took a few bites before he was back to circling Finch. "A walk it is, then," he sighed in resignation. He clipped a sturdy least onto Bear's collar and left the Library once again, not ten minutes after he had entered.

Bear pulled eagerly on his leash, and Finch acknowledged to himself that he might need some help today. Bear seemed to want a lot more exercise than Finch could offer. He took out his phone and called the number Miss Shaw had given him during their last encounter. Apparently she had found someone to relay messages to her in order to remain hidden.

"Yes, this is a friend. Would you please tell Miss Shaw that Bear would like to see her at the park? Thank you." Finch hung up without waiting for an answer. Whoever was at the other end of the line would deliver his message, hopefully with no questions asked.

Finch sat on a bench in the park, waiting for Shaw to make an appearance. He had no doubt that he wouldn't see her until she wanted to be seen, but there was no harm in being prepared. A few minutes later, Finch was about to call again when a soft voice spoke up beside him.

"Hey, Harold. You called?" Shaw said. She was leaning on the back of the bench to Finch's right, and she was uncomfortably close.

"Hello, Miss Shaw," Finch replied slowly. "I see the promise of a date with Bear has brought you out of hiding."

Shaw smirked as she came around the bench to sit beside him. "It wasn't Bear I came to see," she said as she eyed him. Finch tried to move over a bit, but he was already at the edge of the bench.

"Really, Miss Shaw, no need for joking. I simply called because Bear had too much energy, and I really don't think I'm able to exercise him adequately. That is, he needs someone more... physically fit than I to play with."

"Aw, Harold, you think I'm fit? That's so sweet of you to notice," Shaw said as she stood. Finch held her gaze nervously as she leaned over him. Without looking away, Shaw gently took Bear's leash. "Wanna come with us, Harold? It'll be fun," she sang.

Finch hurriedly tried to get up, but Shaw blocked his way. He was effectively trapped on the bench. "I'm sure Bear will enjoy the exercise, but I have to go..."

"Really, Harold? We both know you don't have to be anywhere today, so why don't you come with me? Loosen up for once," she said with a wink. He flinched when she reached out to ruffle his hair.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, and Finch thanked whatever gods existed for the interruption. "Hello?" He said desperately as he answered.

"Harold, it's Zoe Morgan. I need to talk to you. Can you meet me at my office?"

Finch didn't stop to consider what he was getting into. "Yes, of course! I'll be right over!" He hung up. "My apologies, Miss Shaw, an urgent matter has come up, I need to leave immediately! When you're finished, you may drop Bear off at the Library."

Finch left quickly, ignoring Shaw's huskily spoken protests. He waved down the first taxi he saw and fifteen minutes later he was standing in front of Ms. Morgan's office. He took a minute to compose himself before he knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Finch sighed in relief at the sound of the practical woman's voice. "You have impeccable timing, Ms. Morgan. You rescued me from a rapidly deteriorating situation-"

Finch trailed off midsentence as he entered the room. All the lights were off, but a fireplace at the other end of the room was lit and giving off just the right amount of warmth. Two chairs were set at a low table just in front of the fire, along with an elegant dinner. Candles were lit all around the room to give more light, and piano music was playing softly in the background.

Finch looked around, but Zoe was nowhere to be seen. "I apologize, Ms. Morgan, for interrupting. I didn't realize you had a guest."

The door shut behind him, and Finch jumped and spun to face it. Zoe was leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, wearing a formfitting black dress. "Don't worry, Harold, you're not interrupting anything. I called you here, remember?" She pushed off the wall and walked towards him. She was wearing high heels, as usual, that brought her to his eye level, but he felt like she was towering over him. "There's no one else here," she purred.

Finch swallowed and backed up quickly. Apparently he was out of the frying pan and into the fire tonight. And this time, he didn't have Bear to push the unwanted attention onto.

"You... you mentioned you needed to speak with me?" Finch asked hopefully. There was still a chance that there might be a legitimate reason for her calling him here.

"Need, want, they're really the same word. 'Need' just got you here faster," Zoe replied as she followed him. "Would you like to sit down?" Finch was about to answer that no, he would not like to sit, when Zoe reached out and pushed against his chest. Finch stumbled back into the edge of one of the chairs and fell into it. Zoe smirked at his flustered appearance as she picked up his tie. "You always dress so nicely, Harold. I bet you sleep in a suit."

Finch looked around for something, anything, to help him out of his predicament. Unfortunately, Zoe's office was very private, and it was getting late. Anyone else who might've been in the building had probably already gone home, and would be of no help to Finch. "I-I think I should go now," he stuttered. "Have you by any chance been drinking?"

Zoe smirked again. "Not yet, Harold. Why, do you want some champagne?" She flicked his tie in his face before dropping it. "I'll get you some if you want."

Finch shrunk back as she tapped his nose, and nearly sighed in relief when she turned and walked to a small fridge along the back wall. He quietly stood and inched his way to the door, hoping she didn't turn around. Halfway there, she started to turn and talk to him. "Harold, do you prefer-" he froze, but just then her phone began to ring. Finch made it to the door and opened it, using the ringing to mask the sound, and made his escape. Whoever had called had just saved him from his third close call today.

Out on the street once more, Finch had to flag down yet another taxi and climb in before he could breath easily. He wouldn't put it past Zoe to come chasing after him, not after the way she had acted in her office. Had all women gone insane today? What were they thinking?

Finch leaned back in the seat and just let the driver go where he pleased for a minute while he relaxed. His peaceful moment was shattered, however, when they stopped at a red light and he spoke. Or rather, when she spoke. "So where're we off to, Harry?" Finch immediately stiffened and groaned as Root grinned at him in the rearview mirror.

"Please, when will this nightmare end?" He said as he rubbed his eyes. Root just laughed and continued to drive.

"I noticed everyone was giving you a hard time, Harry, so I called Zoe to distract her. Would you rather I take you back?" Finch shook his head wildly at the thought. "I thought not," Root gloated. Finch tried to calm down as Root pulled into the parking lot of a small hotel. Apparently she was the only female who hadn't lost her mind.

Root turned off the car and hopped in back with him. "So, Harry, whatcha been up to?" She said coyly. Apparently she had also lost it.

"Now, Root, I don't know what's wrong, but I'm fairly sure this is a punishment of some kind. Would you all please just tell me what I did so I can apologize?"

"Aw, you're so cute! But you haven't done anything wrong," Root began. "Do you remember when we first met, I said I'd been waiting for you my entire life?"

Finch did indeed remember, but he hadn't taken it to mean what she was now implying at all. He fumbled with the door handle behind him as Root watched him with half closed eyes. "T-that is irrelevant to this situation, Miss Groves!" He stuttered. He seemed to be doing that a lot today.

"Last I checked, Harry, you specialized in the irrelevant." Finch cursed her ability to twist his words, and also her foresight to lock the doors.

"Miss Groves, I demand you let-"

Root laughed loudly. "Alright, alright, no need to get fussy! Come on, lets go inside." Finch reluctantly followed to show her that he did still trust her somewhat. But mostly because she had taken the keys with her. As they entered the doors, Root snatched his hand while everyone in the lobby turned to look at them. Finch didn't even attempt to shake off her hand as Carter, Shaw, and Zoe stormed over with furious looks on their faces.

"So this was the 'emergency', Finch? You left me for her?" Shaw motioned angrily at Root. "I can't believe you would pick her!"

"I can," Carter retorted. "She's a tech nerd. We never had a chance! Of course Finch would pick the one who can understand computer speak."

"Speak for yourselves!" Zoe said indignantly. "I share Harold's love for fine dining and classical music. I think that makes me the best choice."

Shaw snorted. "And when the government comes looking for him, your love of fancy music is going to fight them off? Uh uh, Finch needs someone who can protect him. Someone like me."

"What Finch needs," Carter stressed, "is someone to keep him out of trouble, and we all know I'm the only one who can manage that."

"Ladies, please!" Root interjected. "Let's not fight over the poor guy! Besides," she grinned devilishly and raised Finch's limp hand. "He obviously likes me the best."

Finch, his face long since drained of color, ripped his hand free and decided the situation called for a tactical and elegant retreat. He abandoned his dignity and ran as fast as he could out the doors. He took out his phone as he went and called Reese to rescue him from this horror story.

* * *

"Is he gone?" Carter asked curiously.

"Looks like," Shaw replied, dropping into a lounge chair.

"Thank goodness," Zoe grinned. "I don't know how much longer I could've pretended to be angry."

Cater started laughing. "Did you see his face when he saw us? He looked like we were gonna murder him!"

The other women began to laugh as well. "And," Root finally managed, "he thought we were punishing him! I locked him in a taxi and told him I'd been waiting my whole life for him!"

Zoe scoffed good naturedly. "That's nothing! I lit candles everywhere and pushed him down into a chair. You should've seen his face when I started playing with his tie!"

"Please!" Carter raised her hands. "I actually wore a dress! I told him I wanted to get to know him better and played footsy with him. I don't think I've ever seen him jump before!" The four women broke down in another fit of laughter thay lasted several minutes. Every time one of them managed to compose themselves, she would make eye contact with the others and devolve into laughter again.

"You girls got nothing," Shaw finally boasted. "His reaction when I messed with his hair and invited him to exercise with me was priceless!"

"You played with his hair?" Carter asked incredulously. "I would've payed to see that!" Zoe nodded, unable to keep the grin off her face.

"I think we're losing our touch, though, ladies," Zoe stated in mock seriousness. "None of us got his attention, not even for a second! I know he's a 'gentleman' and all, but really! How can anyone resist us?"

Root's giggles trailed off as she tapped her nose knowingly. "Harry's a great guy, but even he isn't able to be a one hundred percent gentleman all the time. No, he's just got a different way of expressing his attraction. You see, Harry is like one of those animals that mates for life. He found someone a long time ago, and I doubt he's ever noticed another woman since!"

Carter looked at her in surprise. "Really? Why hasn't he ever mentioned her?"

Root shrugged. "If you were being hunted by the government, would you want everyone to know who you loved?" The other women all nodded in understanding. After several moments of silence, Shaw suddenly spoke.

"How do you think Finch reacted when Reese picked him up?" Shaw smirked evilly at the thought.

"I think," Zoe answered, "that John won our bet."

Root nodded. "As much as we scared him, I think Finch was completely shocked when John showed up. He can accept that we were pretending to flirt and fight over him, but I'm sure he was totally unprepared for Reese joining in."

* * *

**Tada! I decided this would be hilarious as Finch is one of those guys that would be completely terrified if everyone started flirting with him for no reason. Review if it strikes your fancy, or even if it doesn't!**


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